HAVE YOUR SAY ON FREO’S STRATEGIC COMMUNITY PLAN

The City of Fremantle’s draft Strategic Community Plan (SCP) is ready for public comment. You can read and review the draft SCP on the City’s MySay page before submitting your final feedback on the document.

Feedback, comments, and ideas provided by the community through the Let’s Talk, Freo! public engagement program have been incorporated into the draft SCP.

You can share your feedback on the Draft SCP:

• View the Draft SCP here.
• View the full public engagement report for Let’s Talk, Freo! here.
• Share your feedback on the draft SCP via the survey here.

Your feedback will help Freo City put the final touches on the language inside the draft document, and make sure they haven’t missed anything before the SCP is adopted.

City officers will review the feedback on the draft SCP, and then send back to Council for final adoption.

Roel Loopers

FREO COUNCIL PREFERS BATHERS BEACH FOR SHARK PROTECTION

The City of Fremantle will progress its plan to install a protected swimming area at Bathers Beach, with Council reaffirming the centrally-located beach as its preferred option at a meeting on Wednesday night.

Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge said it wasn’t about choosing the busiest or most shark-prone beach, it was about creating a safe place at a currently underutilised beach.

“There are a number of reasons why we see Bathers Beach as a real opportunity. One of the things that’s really clear about enclosed swimming areas is that they attract a lot more people.  So, you’re not catering to the existing beach population, you’re catering to the population of people who currently do not go to the beach and swim.”

Council also received the results of a community engagement survey in which 159 submissions were made.

Parking was identified in the survey as a potential challenge, however Mayor Fitzhardinge welcomed the recent opening of the nearby TAFE carpark to the public on weekends, which will mitigate some of the perceived problems.

City officers will seek the maximum funding available from the state government and submit a proposal for residual costs in the City’s 2024-25 budget.

The City will also seek to formalise an offer from nearby business owners to contribute to the annual maintenance costs of the barrier, and potentially the cost of improving bathroom facilities near the beach.

Officers will also seek budget approval for further investigation of an enclosed swimming area in the river at Harvey Beach, North Fremantle, which has attracted strong community support.

Roel Loopers

FREO CBD SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Almost every day of the week I walk through the Piazza, Paddy Troy Lane and Fremantle Malls, and shake my head in disbelief that no one appears to be interested to make significant changes and improvements in those prime locations, and develop them.

The Piazza is the best of the three. It has colour and looks quirky, maybe even a bit kitschy, but I quite like it. But a residential component there would make a big difference.

The Fremantle Malls have been a desolate disappointment for far too many years. I cannot believe the many owners don’t want to develop it. Imagine 4-6 storey buildings there. A mix of residential, offices, hospitality and retail. It would be a game change for Fremantle to have hundreds of people living and working there.

Paddy Troy Lane has so much potential to become a cute laneway, with small bars and cafes, but it needs more care from the City of Fremantle. It needs new pavement, more trees, public seating and art. The large trees there are yelling out to have alfresco in their shade, but sadly the Sam Bloor Handshakes pavement art does not do it for me. The white letters just looks messy.

The Federal Hotel has put more tables, benches and umbrellas outside their walls, and that is a welcome small improvement, while the back of the Manning building looks inviting and cared for.

There are so many great opportunities in that area. If only I had the money to do it myself.

Roel Loopers

MANY PEOPLE AT POPULAR FUNMANTLE

The City of Fremantle supplied these impressive figures about the popular school holiday FUNMANTLE activation.

Funmantle was on for only five days, and only late afternoon, but it attracted 12,000 people to the fun at Walyalup Koort and Victoria Quay.

The estimation that on average every person who attended would have spent $ 65.00 seems very high. We are talking kids here.

Freo City always does school holiday events very well, so keep that going!

Roel Loopers

QUIET AFTERNOON AT THE CAPPUCCINO STRIP

It has been really good to see so many people in Fremantle during the early days of the week. School holidays have yet again brought many families into the Freo town centre, to the benefit of hospitality venues and retailers.

But yesterday afternoon at 5pm it was quiet on the Cappuccino Strip, allowing people to have peaceful contemplation while having a drink.

Roel Loopers

BECOME A FREO GOOD WEATHER TRADER 😍

The City of Fremantle is calling on small businesses and entrepreneurs to bring their exciting ideas to life at some of Fremantle’s renowned outdoor locations.

An expression of interest is now open and the City will be awarding six-month summer trading permits for leisure and tourism-focussed ventures that are aligned with the seasonal trading guiding principles.

There are seven locations at South Beach, Bathers Beach, Port and Leighton Beaches and near the WA Shipwrecks Museum that the City is looking to activate with new seasonal attractions.

The new ventures must meet certain criteria including being environmentally sustainable, complement Fremantle’s character, fill a gap in the market and not compete with established businesses.

More information can be found at: www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/seasonal-trading.

Roel Loopers

CAN FREO AFFORD LOSING $2.4 MILLION TO GET A NEW FREMANTLE MARKETS OPERATOR?

I want to add a few more thoughts about the Fremantle Markets lease, after having read the Fremantle Herald article about it. The Herald mentions that a director of GTL Investments spoke at last Wednesday’s FPOL Committee meeting, urging Councillors to vote against the Officer’s Recommendation of approving a new lease for the current market operators FMPL.

The GTL Investments director said he had talked to the City of Fremantle CEO last year and offered to pay $ 6 million for restoration work, that would be partly paid for by a three-year rent free period, if his company was granted the lease for the Fremantle Markets.

There was no official tender process and Expression of Interest period, so that offer was irrelevant and never considered, which, according to the Fremantle Herald, upset Councillor Vujcic.

But let us just think about this scenario for a bit. There is a loose offer of investing $ 6 million, but on the condition of a long rent free period. The lease for FMPL has no rent free period, but would see them investing $ 3 million on renovations.

The proposed lease for FMPL also states that they would be paying annual rent of $ 550,000 and on top of that an annual turnover rent of $ 250,000. That is $ 2,4 million over three years!

Does anyone seriously believe the City of Fremantle can be cavalier about foregoing that much money, to take the risk of an inexperienced new market operator, that would have to start all over again? I don’t believe that is a reasonable alternative in the current economic climate and Fremantle Council’s lack of money.

Roel Loopers

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COULD FREMANTLE COUNCILS SHARE NEIGHOURHOOD LINK?

Wouldn’t it be nice if the City of Fremantle shared the below activities with the Town of East Fremantle. Small local governments should share a lot more, to save cost and to engage more people.

Neighbourhood Link is taking a group of eligible people, 65+ (from East Fremantle AND surrounding areas) on an outing to Maalinup Aboriginal Gallery, then lunch at Bailey Brewing Co. in the Swan Valley!

This is just one of many activities and daytrips planned for October.

Know someone who would enjoy this experience with like-minded people?

To find out more about eligibility for Neighbourhood Link, please call the friendly team on 9339 9381.

To view the full schedule of activities and daytrips planned for October, or to learn more about Neighbourhood Link, please visit:

https://www.eastfremantle.wa.gov.au/…/Activity_Program…

Roel Loopers

A LOT OF HYPE ABOUT THE FREMANTLE BUDGET

The media release about the budget for the 2022/23 financial year, that Fremantle Council adopted last night, is full of great things Council is planning to do, but what is really new in all the plans? I added my comments in Italic.

Investing in favourite places:

• South Beach: new toilets and changerooms as well as a beach wheelchair and matting to improve access for people with a disability. Was already in last year’s budget.
• Fremantle Arts Centre: replacement of roofing.
• Fremantle Leisure Centre: replacement of 25-metre pool roof. Was already in last year’s budget
• Booyeembara Park: construction of mountain bike trails. Was already in last year’s budget
• Leighton Beach: New playground and upgraded car parking.
• Fremantle Golf Course: clubhouse and community facility. Was already in last year’s budget
• Hilton Bowling Club: new synthetic green to replace old grass green.
• Dick Lawrence Reserve: renewal of changerooms, cricket nets, lighting and irrigation.
• Port Beach: sand nourishment and coastal monitoring. Ongoing work. Nothing new.

Sprucing up our suburbs:

• $1.65 million program to maintain and improve the city’s roads. Does this include the many neglected footpaths?
• Continued program of tree and shrub planting as part of Urban Forest Plan.
• Replacement drinking fountains, lighting, shade sails, bench seats, shelters and signage at parks including Monument Hill, Parmelia Park, Alfred Park, Dick Lawrence Reserve, Samson Reserve and more.
• Hilton Underground Power: the City is contributing $1.26 million as part of a seven-year, interest-free payback scheme for benefitting households. Was already in last year’s budget
• Nannine Commons – Former WGV Men’s Shed: reticulation to support plantings of community garden beds and continue the green corridor to Valley Park and the White Gum Valley orchard.
• Virginia Ryan Park: fencing, seats and drinking fountains to support proposed dog exercise area.

Bringing back the buzz to CBD:

• Tree planting in William Street.
• New lighting along William, Henderson and Queen Streets.
• New footpath linking Bathers Beach with Fremantle Port. FINALLY. This is great news!
• Fremantle Biennale festival sponsorship. Nothing new. Same as last year.
• Fremantle Festival: Ten Nights in Port. Nothing new. Same as last year.
• Fremantle International Street Arts festival. Nothing new. Same as last year.
• Walyalup Koort activations and school holiday programs. Nothing new. Same as last year.
• Christmas festival celebrations. Nothing new. Same as last year.

Want to know where your rates go? Click on this: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/39bdf25663c14ea5b0c998cfe9224cb8?fbclid=IwAR0M2yDm2yvqeHBoxbCzwA1GPefk2CGxdoQ_0aDkkoUxyronJepRtRw9Rtc

Roel Loopers

VERY SUCCESSFUL FREMANTLE SCHOOL HOLIDAY ACTIVATION

The City of Fremantle gets a lot of flack from the community, and that is sometimes deserved, but they also deserve to get a pat on the back for their Lego trail school holiday activation. I have been amazed at the large number of children and parents roaming the Freo streets. It’s so much more fun when the inner city is activated!

The FOMO food halls and Walyalup Koort were packed yesterday at midday, and there were a lot of people in the West End and Fishing Boat Harbour as well. Fantastic!

Roel Loopers